Jersey Shore fishing: Tuna in March?

It's hard to believe after our long, hard winter that tuna could be brought into N.J. this early in the year, but that's all a function of the Gulf Stream. Roffer's Fishing Service has noted that a substantial meander of the Gulf Stream has moved northeast just east of Norfolk Canyon and to the vicinity of Lindenkohl Canyon with 61-to-63-degree blue waters. Roffer says those waters could hold bluefin and bigeye tuna plus swordfish. I remember when a wahoo was brought into Shinnecock Inlet, Long Island around this time several decades ago by a sportfishing boat making an early trip to the canyons. If the waters are right, the time of year isn't critical out there.

Bill Fromkin of Ocean Township reports fishing was just fine near his winter home in Fort Myers, Florida earlier this winter. He made eight trips far out in the Gulf of Mexico with Fishin-fever out of Getaway Marina, and all were "great". Red grouper produced many limits of six up to his personal best 18 pounds even though he fished with a Shimano 4000 series spinning outfit rather than the traditional heavy conventional tackle used for groupers. He also boated a 74-pound amberjack on that outfit after a 45-minute fight. Limits of amberjack plus lots of big mangrove snappers and gulf porgies up to 7 pounds were also taken.

I also received a similar report from Joe Greco, formerly of Edison, about that Gulf offshore fishing for red grouper from overnighting charter boats out of Fort Myers, where he now lives.